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Show Utah favored Redskins to charge for first place BY BRUCE WOODBURY Sports Staff Starting his 18th season as head basketball coach at Utah, Jack Gardner will engineer his "Running "Run-ning Redskins" into the 1970-71 basketball wars with the Varsity-freshman Varsity-freshman game Monday evening. Coach Gardner, who is currently cur-rently listed fourth on the list of the 20 top coaches in college . basketball, will be out to better his team's 18-10 won-lost record of last year. One thing is certain, he has a good nucleus of returning players around which to fashion a more productive tem. Three starters from last years snnad. which lost the Western PsX LI:'... : Junior College Transfer Eddie Trail will start at guard with Mike Newlin I for the upcoming season. .....,.,l.ali , ..., , ,,..,.. California supplies Redskins again with transfer John Dcarman who strengthens Utah's front hue. Athletic Conference (WAC) title by a basket, return this season. Newlin wins honors Mike Newlin was voted the most valuable player in the conference con-ference and won the scoring honors as well. Forward Ken Gardner will be back in the starting start-ing line up for the third consecutive con-secutive season and Jim Mahler will continue to add the necessary height advantage the Utes need at the center position. Newlin, whom Coach Gardner labels a "pure shooter", finished first in the conference scoring race with a 29.4 points per game average, aver-age, (WAC games only). He is considered by coaches and fans to be a most exciting player. He certainly will draw the opposing li'am's hpst Hpfpnsivp man in pnph gauon, me siy mentor uncovered several star junior college performers per-formers last summer and recruited them to his basketball program. Utah's coaching staff expect this year's team to be one of the most complete ball teams to don the Utah uniform, due to the addition of these tranfer students. Eddie Trail, though only a sophmore, looks like the man to join Mike Newlin on the guard line. Trail, who is out of Flathead Junior College in Kalispcll, Mont., may be just what "The Fox" ordered for Utah's fast-break offense. During early season drills he has shown extreme quickness, smart playmaking, accurate shooting, shoot-ing, and sticky defensive ex pertise; the ingredients hoped for in a guard. Last year as a freshman he led the Flathead squad to a 23-4 season mark while averaging 22.1 points per game. Another of the five junior college transfers on the Utah squad this year is forward John Dearman. Dearman, whose major asset is his scoring ability, trans-fcred trans-fcred from Harbor J.C. in California. Cali-fornia. While at Harbor he averaged aver-aged 19 points per game and made the all-state junior eolege learn last season. Dearman, however, has been waging a battle for the forward spot now occupied by returning letterman Early "Peaches" Laster. "Peaches" was the only non- starter last year to see action in all 28 games. Although only 6 foot 5 inches, Laster has been practicing at the post position so that he can back up starting center Jim Mahler. He averaged 5.5 points per game last year. Utah will be tough this season as prc-season polls predict the Redskins to win the conference. However, if the Ulcs do win the crown by season's end, it will be no walk-away. Arizona, who was selected second in the polling, has four starters from last year returning re-turning and should be considered a prime contender, along with Colorado Stale, for championship honors. jame he plays this year. Coach Gardner considers this year's Utes a more balanced squad than his second place team of a year ago. One reason for this is the playing ability of senior forward for-ward Ken Gardner. Ken Gardner (no relation to the coach), who will be starting his third season for Utah, was the best rebounder on the squad last year as well as being runner-up for team scoring honors. Averaging Mr 11 rebounds and 14.4 points pergame last year, Gardner can be expected to contribute even more to the team's success this season. Gardner is bigger The coach says that Gardner 'plays much bigger than he really b . and comes about as close as "tyone to doing everything there do on the basketball court. Center Jim Mahler at 6 foot 10 "dies is the biggest man ever to J,Jy for Jack Gardner at Utah. He a fine shooting touch for a big j. Last year he led the con-Sence con-Sence in shooting percentage hit-Hon hit-Hon .587 per cent of his shots. also averaged over eight re-,,unds re-,,unds per game and played a Went defensive role. With three returning lettermen ;Prling the credits of these rs. it seems improbable that ' will perform poorly against iv-C team. "The Fox" recruits 'ack Gardner was nicknamed ' e Fox" years ago for definite J -Lll1 substantiating the 'alle-' - |
